Portable rowing/exercise device

ABSTRACT

A portable rowing device that in one mode can be attached to a boat to provide a muscle exercise by propelling the boat in a forward facing direction through a body of water or in another mode can be attached to an exercise stand to provide the same muscle exercise without propelling the user through a body of water.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to rowing devices and, more specifically, to a portable rowing/exercise device that in one mode can be used for exercise by working against a counter force or in another mode can be used for exercise by propelling a boat through the water in the direction the person is facing.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

None

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

None

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general, because of the known benefit of physical exercise those people whose jobs do not involve physical activity generally seek some type of regular exercise through an exercise machine. One such type of exercise machine is a rowing machine that allows a user to pull on two oar like members in a manner much as one rows a boat. Springs or weights resist the rowing motion and thus provide the user with an exercise workout as the oar like members are pulled toward the user. While such devices are an excellent way to provide exercise to certain muscle groups they confine a user to the exercise machine. The present invention in one mode comprises a portable exercise device wherein two portable exercises devices are mounted to the gunwales of a boat to enable the user to obtain the benefit of rowing exercise by paddling a boat through the water while facing in a forward direction direction and in another mode a portable exercise device that can be mounted to the rails of an exercise stand to enable a user to obtain the benefit of a rowing exercise during those conditions when one cannot be on the water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A portable rowing device that in one mode can be attached to a boat to provide muscle exercise by propelling the boat in a forward facing direction through a body of water or in another mode can be attached to an exercise stand to provide the same muscle exercise without propelling the user through a body of water.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a boat with portable rowing devices attached to the gunwales of the boat;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the portable rowing devices attached to the sides of an exercise stand;

FIG. 3 is a back view of the exercise stand of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the drive mechanism of the portable rowing device; and

FIG. 5 is a front view of a portion of the portable rowing device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is a top view of a boat 10 with a first portable rowing device 11 attached to the boat port side gunwale 15 and a second portable rowing device 12 attached to the starboard gunwale 16. Boat 10 has a tapered or pointed bow 10 a and a stem 10 b and is propelled in the direction of the arrow D through use of the portable rowing devices 11 and 12. A seat 17 is positioned proximate each of the portable rowing devices 11 and 12 to allow a user to operate the rowing devices 11 and 12 from a seated condition.

Portable rowing device 11 includes a first gear 18 having a work arm 20 attached thereto with a paddle 21 located on the end of the work arm and a second gear 19 having a hand arm 22 with a hand grip 23 attached thereto. Similarly, portable rowing device 12 includes a first gear 25 having a work arm 26 with a paddle 27 located on the end of the work arm and a second gear 28 having a hand arm 29 with a hand grip 30 attached thereto.

In operation of the portable rowing device 11, a pulling motion on rowing device hand grip 23 (indicated by F₂) pulls the paddle 21 in the direction indicated by arrow F₄ thereby pulling the paddle 21 through the water which propels the boat in the direction of the bow arrow D as the rower faces the bow of the boat. Similarly, a pulling motion on rowing device hand grip 30 (indicated by F₁) pulls the paddle 27 in the direction indicated by arrow F₃ thereby pulling the paddle 27 through the water which propels the boat in the direction of the bow arrow D as the rower faces the bow of the boat.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the portable rowing devices 11 and 12 mounted on an exercise stand 30 having a left side rail 30 a and a right side rail 30 b. A seat 35 is mounted to exercise stand 30 to allow a user to sit thereon as the hand grips 30 and 23 are grasped and pulled toward the user in a rowing motion. A foot rest 38 allows the user to brace his or her feet thereagainst while pulling on the hand grips 30 and 31. The portable rowing devices 11 and 12, which are shown on boat 10, are identical to the rowing devices shown on exercise stand 30 except the blade 21 has been removed from arm 20 and the blade 27 has been removed from arm 26. FIG. 2 shows the arm 20 has been repositioned at a right angle to arm 22 and arm 26 has been repositioned at a right angle to arm 29. The repositioning can be obtained by rotationally repositioning gear 18 with respect to gear 19 and gear 28 with respect to gear 25. Attached to end 20 a of repositioned arm 20 is a first end 32 a of resistance member 32, such as a tension spring or the like, and similarly, attached to the first end 26 a of repositioned arm 26 is the second end 32 b of resistance member 32.

In operation of the portable rowing device in the exercise mode, as shown in FIG. 2, the rower pulls hand grips 23 and 30 in the direction shown by the arrows F₁ and F₂. The pulling action causes arm 26 to pivot in a clockwise direction and arm 20 to pivot in a counter clockwise direction thereby exerting a pulling force on resistant member 32 thus causing the user to expend muscle energy as resistance member 32 is pulled from opposite ends. For example, if resistance member 32 is a spring one would expend energy elongating the spring or if resistant member 32 includes a set of weights one would expend energy lifting the weights.

The portable rowing devices 11 and 12 are shown in a water propulsion mode in FIG. 1 and solely in an exercise mode in FIG. 2; however, in both instances the user performs the same rowing motion, namely, pulling the handles toward himself or herself against a resistance. The result is that the user has a year around exercise device that can be used outside in the summer time and indoors in the winter time to provide the same type of muscle exercise. Thus, regardless of where the portable rowing device is used one can provide the same exercise for the same group of muscles thus providing a continuity to the user's exercise program. In addition, when used on a boat the portable rowing device allows a person to face the direction the boat is being propelled as compared to conventional oars which require the user to face opposite the direction the boat is being propelled.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the operating drive members of the portable rowing device 11. Gear 18 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 42 on pivotable base member 40 and supported by a washer 48 and 48 a. Similarly, gear 19 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 41 and includes teeth thereon in meshing engagement with teeth on gear 18. Washer 49 and 49 a provide for rotational spacing of the gears on shaft 41 on pivotable base member 40. A cover plate or shield 45 extends over the gears and is held thereon by screws 46 and 47 that are secured to shafts 42 and 41. The cover plate can provide a finished appearance as well as prevent accidental access to the gears during operation of the portable rowing device 11. One end of arm 22 includes a yoke having a central opening 22 c for rotatable mounting on shaft 41 and a set of openings 22 a and 22 b for inserting pins 60 and 61 therein when the yoke is positioned around gear 19. That is, the pins 60 and 61 extend through the openings 22 a and 22 b and through the openings 19 a and 19 b in gear 19 to affix the arm 22 to gear 19 thus allowing the user to rotate gear 19 by rotating arm 22 which in run rotates gear 18 which is in meshing engagement therewith. The arm 20 is attached to gear 18 in an identical manner and is not described herein. Consequently, the rotation of arm 22 produces a corresponding rotation of arm 20 through the meshing engagement of gears 18 and 19. In the embodiment shown the gears 18 and 19 are of the same diameter; however, gear 18 and 19 can be replaced with gears of unequal diameter as long as the gears still mesh. By using gears of unequal diameter one can change the amount of force transmitted from the hand grip to the end of the work arm. Thus, the invention allows one to change the nature of the workout. For example, if the user decides that the work out is to light the gears can be changed to produce a new gear ratio that increases the effort to move the work arms against either the resistance regardless of whether the resistance is provided by the boat and water or by the resistance member connected to the work arms.

Located below the pivotable base member 40, which includes an opening 43 is a clamp 50 having a pivot pin 52 that extends through the upper part of clamp 50 and base member 43 to provide a pivoting support for the rowing device 11. A washer 53 and cotter key 52 allow one to affix the pivot pin 52 into the U-shaped recess in the top portion of clamp 50.

Located on the lower portion of clamp 50 is an elongated slot having a pressure plate 56 with a slot 56 a therein for engagement with a first thumb screw 54 and a second thumb screw 55. The thumb screws allow one to removably fasten the portable rowing device 11 to the gunwale 15 through the clamp 50. As the portable rowing device 12 as well as the fastening process is identical to portable rowing device 11 it is not described herein.

With the base member 40 pivotally supported by clamp 50 the arms 22 and 20 are allowed to pivot in a plane extending longitudinally through shafts 41 and 42 while pulling on the arm 22 cause the arm 22 and 20 to move in a plane extending through gears 18 and 19 and perpendicular to shaft 41 and shaft 42. Thus, the arm 22 can have an up down motion and a to an fro motion normally associated with an oar located in an oarlock on a rowboat.

While portable rowing devices are shown mounted on opposite sides of both a boat and an exercise stand, if desired, only one portable rowing device could be used on either the boat or the exercise stand. For example, when used with a boat a rudder or the like could be used to steer the boat while the boat is propelled by a single portable rowing device 11.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a portion of the portable rowing device 11 showing the position of the base member 40 in the clamp 50 to allow for pivoting motion of the arms 20 and 22 about the pivot pin 51. In the embodiment shown the arm 22 comprises an extendible member composed of tubular arm 22 a having an opening 22 f. The arm 22 includes a tubular member 22 b and a tubular member 22 c having a diameter dimension smaller than the interior diameter of tubular member 22 a to allow for tubular member 22 c to be inserted into tubular member 22 a. A resiliently mounted pin 22 d protrudes radially outward from tubular member 22 c so as to engage the opening 22 f when tubular member 22 a and 22 c are in engagement with each other to thereby lock member 22 b to member 22 a. It is envisioned that with the extension arraignment shown the length of arm 22 can be changed as well as the type of arm attached thereto. Similarly, the arm 20 is also extendible through identical members thus allowing extension or changing of the length of the members in the portable rowing device 11.

Thus the portable rowing device includes an attachment member or a support 50 for mounting the portable rowing device 11 on either a gunwale of a boat or on an exercise stand. A gear joined member having a work extension 20 on one end and an extension for grasping 22 on the other end forms a gear joined member including spur gears 18 and 19 which are in meshing engagement so that a rotational force on the end for grasping 22 causes the extension on the work extension 19 to rotate in a counter direction. In order to provide smooth and quite operation the gears can be made from non-metallic materials such as nylon or polymer plastics or the like that provide a cushioned contact while transmitting the rotational forces therethrough. 

1. A portable rowing device for use on either water or land comprising: an attachment member; a first gear having an arm attached thereto; a second gear having a hand grip attached thereto: and a base supporting said first gear and said second gear in rotational engagement with each other so that when the hand grip is pulled said first gear rotates in a first direction and said second gear rotates in an opposite direction.
 2. The portable rowing device of claim 1 including: a paddle on said arm; a boat with said attaching member comprising a clamp secured to a first side of said boat so that a user can face in a forward direction as the paddle is pulled through a body of water; and a second portable rowing device secured to an opposite side of said boat.
 3. The portable rowing device of claim 1 including: a resistance member attached to said arm; an exercise stand with said attachment member secured to a first side of said stand; a second portable rowing device secured to an opposite side of said exercise stand with an arm of said second portable rowing device connected to said resistant member so that pulling a handle of said second portable rowing device and the handle of the first rowing device is resisted by the resistance member connected between the arm of said first portable rowing device and the arm of said second portable rowing device.
 4. The portable rowing device of claim 1 wherein the base is pivotally mounted.
 5. The portable rowing device of claim 1 wherein the first gear and the second gear have nylon teeth.
 6. The portable rowing device of claim 1 wherein the first gear and the second gear are of the same diameter.
 7. The portable rowing device of claim 1 wherein the arm includes an extension.
 8. The portable rowing device of claim 1 wherein the attachment member includes a slot with a pressure plated therein for engagement with the side of a boat or the side of an exercise stand.
 9. The portable rowing device of claim 1 wherein said first gear is repositionable with respect to said second gear to change the orientation of the arm with respect to the handle.
 10. The portable rowing device of claim 1 wherein the arm includes a yoke with a pin for affixing said arm with respect to said first gear.
 11. The portable rowing device of claim 10 wherein the arm includes a removable extension.
 12. The method of exercising muscles in different environments comprising: attaching a portable rowing device to a gunwale of a boat and exercising a group of muscles by propelling the boat over the water, removing the portable rowing device from the gunwale of the boat; and attaching the portable rowing device to an exercise stand and exercising the group of muscles by rowing against a resistance connected to the portable rowing device.
 13. The method of claim 12 including the step of mounting a hand grip arm on the portable rowing device and a work arm at an angle to each other.
 14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of attaching to the gunwale includes the step of clamping the portable rowing device to the gunwale.
 15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of attaching to the exercise stand including the step of clamping the portable rowing device to the exercise stand.
 16. The method of claim 12 including the step of rotationally repositioning a gear member in the portable rowing device to change the direction of an arm extending from the portable rotating device.
 17. The method of claim 12 including the step of removing a paddle on the portable rowing device.
 18. The method of claim 12 including the step of changing the length of the arm in the portable rotating device by attaching a different length arm to a yoke member in the portable rowing device.
 19. A portable rowing device kit comprising: a support for mounting the portable rowing device on either a gunwale of a boat or on an exercise stand; a gear joined member having a work extension on one end and an extension for grasping on the other end with the gear joined member including spur gears in meshing engagement so that a rotational force on the end for grasping causes the extension on the work extension to rotate in a counter direction; and a resistance member for securing to the work extension.
 20. The portable rowing device of claim 19 wherein the spur gears comprises a non-metallic material to inhibit noise generation. 